We are at the half-way point of Sydney Olympic’s 2021 season, so we’ll take a look at what we’ve seen so far.
We are sitting 5th on the ladder after 11 rounds, with 5 wins – 1 draw – 5 losses, a perfect illustration of how we have performed as well as the ups and downs we have experienced, in this 1st half of the season.
Clearly at this point in time (it could change), we’re a step behind the top 3 clubs on the ladder, but we are not a bottom feeder of the competition this year either. In fact in large parts, our play has been fairly decent so far this season.
Now, most Sydney Olympic supporters before the season started, were saying and would have told you, that they were worried about this teams ability to score goals and clearly, through the results of the first-half of the season, that is our major problem.
We have the equal worst attack in the League, our general and build-up play is pretty good, but we have forwards and strikers in the squad who just do not score goals, so why are they there, and as I have said on here numerous times, in this League, if you do not have out and out consistent goalscorers who can put chances away for the team, you are going nowhere.
To the team’s credit, they are working really hard during matches and competing for the entire 90 minutes, every week, but that can and will only get you so far. We just need that bit of polish up front, which we are not getting at the moment and it will hurt us somewhere down the line this season, if it isn’t rectified.
Unless somebody in the squad all of the sudden catches fire and we start pouring on the goals, we will finish between 4th and 9th and even if we made the Finals, we would need a bit of luck to achieve anything.
On the defensive side of things we have the 2nd best defense in the competition, so there are also some positives and we have done it, without the services of some good players due to injury and without the best goalkeeper in the competition, Nicholas Sorras, hopefully he is back soon.
On the Cup front, we are still (barely) in it, we have been so very poor in the Cup competitions over the last few years. There is some sort of curse or phobia there, I cannot explain it, we always seem to stumble and make things hard for ourselves.
We survived by the skin of our teeth during this last round, against Sutherland Association club Menai Hawks, copping an injury time equaliser to send it to extra time and then needing to go the full 120 minutes to get passed them.
For the next round we have drawn another away tie against an association club, a very good and interesting opponent in Liverpool Olympic, we cannot afford to take anyone lightly, this match could end up being anything.
The second-half of the season will be at the very least interesting and it all gets underway with Round 12 on Sunday Afternoon, May 16th, away at Edensor Park against Sydney United. Kick-Off is at 3pm.
